China tightens rules on digital humans and bans addictive services for minors
Change
China's Cyberspace Administration released a draft regulation on April 3 requiring prominent labels on all virtual-human content, banning virtual intimate-relationship services for users under 18, and prohibiting creation of digital humans from personal data without consent; the draft is open for public consultation until May 6, 2026.
Why it matters
The draft creates binding design and content constraints that require online services to add identity labels, build age-checks and consent flows, and remove product features that simulate personal relationships for minors. Platforms must also strengthen moderation controls to filter material the regulator deems harmful to state stability or likely to cause addiction or harm to vulnerable users.
Implications
- • Platform operators that host user-facing virtual humans must implement prominent labeling, age-gating, and disable features that simulate intimate relationships for under-18 accounts or face enforcement action by the Cyberspace Administration.
- • App and game developers that deploy virtual characters must remove or redesign any functionality that allows simulated intimate relationships for minors and maintain compliance documentation at platforms' request or risk content removal or service blocking.
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